Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life - except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart. Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another breakup or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger.

Matter of Time: Vol. 1

Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect’s assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won’t give up no matter who is after him. But Jory’s life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw. While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective....

Bulletproof: A Matter of Time, Book 5

Jory Harcourt doesn't have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him - particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force. After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it's only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust-fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal.

Mine

Trevan Bean has a job that's going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend's estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry's going to have it if it kills him! It just might.

But for You: A Matter of Time, Book 6

Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him - it's settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory's days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.

Parting Shot: A Matter of Time, Book 7

Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn't expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.

Heart of the Race

Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who's always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can't take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he's breaking his best friend's heart.

Sultry Sunset: Mangrove Stories

When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he's been missing.

Knight of Ocean Avenue

How can you be 25 and not know you're gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy's life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Then, in preparation for his sister's big wedding, Billy meets Shaz - alias Chase Phillips - a rising-star celebrity stylist who defines the word gay.

All Kinds of Tied Down

Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.

Johnnie: Siphon, Book 1

A premier lion shifter, Hugh Landry dedicates his life to leading the Berk pride with strength and confidence. Hundreds of people depend on Hugh for safety, success, and happiness. And at over a century old, with more power than can be contained in one body, Hugh relies on a Siphon lion shifter to carry his excess force. When the Siphon endangers himself and therefore the pride, Hugh must pay attention to the man who has been his silent shadow for a decade.

The Mating of Michael

Everyone admires Michael Lamont for being a nurse, but his part-time work as a gay sex surrogate not only raises eyebrows, it's cost him relationships. Michael is small, beautiful, and dedicated to working with people who need him. But what he really wants is a love of his own. He spends most of his time reading science fiction, especially books written by his favorite author and long-time crush, the mysteriously reclusive J.C. Guise.

Hawk's Pretty Baby: Brac Pac 2

Hawk Magnar, commander of twelve sentry wolves, never thought he'd discover his mate in a hospital for an anxiety attack. Under the illusion he was going to comfort a young child the alpha's mate, Cecil, had befriended, he finds a man who needs more protection than even anyone realizes. Treated as a simpleton all his life, Johnny Stone has never had anything to call his own - until he meets Hawk.

Floodgates

Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture - with a past that just might get Tracy killed. Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend's little brother that he's a reliable man, but to do that he'll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be.

Rise & Fall: THIRDS, Book 4

After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he's done. But Dex's plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition's crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn't taking any chances.

The Backup Boyfriend: Boyfriend Chronicles Series, Book 1

Professionally, Dr. Alec Johnson has almost reached his goals. As this year's recipient of a humanitarian award with his ex, Dr. Tyler Hall, Alec's work with the homeless is about to be recognized. Unfortunately, his personal life sucks because now he has to attend several events alongside Tyler - with his ex's new boyfriend in tow. In an attempt to lift his mood and break out of his rut, Alec purchases a motorcycle he has no idea how to start.

Acrobat

Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he's not very good at is sticking around afterward. He's a nice guy; he just doesn't feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he's spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn't realize that Michael's mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him. Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner.

Fire and Ice: Carlisle Cops, Book 2

Carter Schunk is a dedicated police officer with a difficult past and a big heart. When he's called to a domestic disturbance, he finds a fatally injured woman and a child, Alex, who is in desperate need of care. Child Services is called, and the last man on earth Carter wants to see walks through the door. Carter had a fling with Donald a year ago and found him as cold as ice since it ended.

Ever the Same

Audie Barrack is in it up to his elbows with a sick calf when his son's school calls. When he walks into the principal's office, he's shocked to find his son has been fighting with a little girl named Randi. A little girl with one blind dad and one dad who recently passed away. Dixon is struggling to live as a blind man, Audie is terrified someone might see he has a closet to come out of, and everyone from the school to both men's families is worried for the men and their children.

Safe in His Arms

In the late-night quiet of the caravan park shower room, Lon Taylor washes away the filth of the Western Australian mines. He's not looking for anyone, but when Casey offers, Lon doesn't turn him down. Welcoming the young man in his big, hairy arms, Lon provides a safety to Casey that he has never known, and Casey wants to stay forever. Still reeling from the breakup of his family years ago, Lon's not sure he's ready for the responsibility of the comfort and security Casey craves.

Nowhere Ranch

Ranch hand Roe Davis absolutely never mixes business with pleasure - until he runs into his boss, Travis Loving, at the only gay bar within 200 miles. Getting involved with the ranch owner is a bad idea, but Roe's and Travis's bedroom kinks line up against one another like a pair of custom-cut rails. As long as they're both clear this is sex on the side, no relationship, no interfering with the job, they could make it work

Camp Hell: PsyCop, Book 5

Victor Bayne honed his dubious psychic skills at one of the first psych training facilities in the country, Heliotrope Station, otherwise known as Camp Hell to the psychics who've been guests behind its razorwire fence.

Quiet Nights (Mangrove Stories)

It's a lovely little life Kelly Seaton leads. He's got his own landscaping business, a nice little house, and his best friend, Cosimo Renaldi, and Coz's goofball family who have adopted Kelly as their own. Sure, it's a little lonely at night, but it's a sweet deal, and Kelly can't chance ruining it by letting on that he wants more - has always wanted more - with Coz.

Fighting Instinct: L'Ange, Book 2

Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.

Publisher's Summary

Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life - except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.

Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another breakup or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.

There was just something about this series that I just did not like and I could not put my finger on it. I read and reviewed Volume 1 (Books #1-2) giving it a three rating for the story. I just completed Volume 2 (Books #3-4) and somewhere towards the end of book 3 I figured out what it was that I was having a problem with...I do not identify with the dominate/submissive relationship between Sam and Jory. Attempting to identify with the characters allows the reader to fully enjoy the tale that is being told and I just could not. I kept saying, if I was Jory...geez the expletives that spewed forth from my mouth! Now I will say that I did enjoy book four the most. Jory's escapades and his attempt at mystery solving was rather enjoyable (if not a bit far fetched) and the conversations between Dane and Jory were rather comical. I was a bit confused that Mary Calmes did not expound on Jory and Sam's union but rather chose to end the tale with anothers wedding and petty jealousy. I have book 5 left, but I will wait a while before I read it. I need a break from Jory and Sam. I would recommend, if for no other reason than I like Mary Calmes story telling.

I'd read the four books back when it was published by Club Lighthouse Publishing then bought the edited Dreamspinner version. 5 stars all the way but it was Paul Morey's narration that truly brought this series to life for me.

His interpretation of Det. Sam Kage is brilliant and the rest of the story is narrated with expression and just the right pacing but audiobook fans will know what I mean.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes and no. I love Calme's books, but her dialogue is infuriating.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mary Calmes again?

Not sure. When I read her books, I love the concept's but her dialogues are so juvenile. Here you have mature grown men going through difficult situation but then the dialogue does not reflect what just happened. It is painful to listen to.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The way Jory goes from one thought to the next and when people don't keep up with him it can be hilarious. Laughed out loud several times during vol. 1 & 2.

I want to start by saying I really love Mary Calmes books. I did however have a few things that got to me by the end and could just be my own pet peeves. 1 - I understood by the first volume that EVERYONE loves Jory and all the men want to sleep with him or be with him. This seemed so overdone that I started cringing when it still continued in this book. She also repeatedly goes over this with his brother Dane as well as Sam but Jory is focused on the most. Really? No one is LOVED by all. If you follow the series - these are NOT stand alone books so the author should not be repeatedly going over the stuff in the first volume and I see this is a pattern that is to continue in Bulletproof which I am listening to now. 2 - I usually find the endearment "baby" a total turn on till Sam used it so much that it lost the effect. 3 - Jory has consistently through both volumes tried to remain friends with guys that want to still be in his bed. HELLO???? If they still want to be in your bed then they don't see you as just a friend and Jory comes across clueless is this regard. On the upside he has a quick wit, charming personality and I love the fact that his filter is usually turned off and says what he thinks. That is refreshing.

Paul Morey nailed Jory's personality perfectly. The voices were very distinguisable. I am in awe. I've listened to a few other books where the voices sounded put on and almost cartoonish. Not so here. It really sounded like different people were narrating. The book itself was excellent and I am a big fan of Mary Calmes, especially this series which continues with Bulletproof.

I have never been just as freaked out and scared like the character in a book like I was when Jory was scream while he staked out the house of his very own kidnappers in this book. OMG! While he screamed, I screamed... OMG! This was the best squeal I have ever listen too. I loved it. I was sooo utterly pissed at Sam for leaving Jory in book 1 but, I am kinda glad he did now, b/c Jory is just so super Funny now and so much stronger.

The drama, kidnapping and danger Jory gets into is just crazy, but how Jory gets out of it is just re-donk-u-lus! Like how Jory gets kidnapped, then the kidnappers get car jacked with Jory in the back of the car... OMG! I laughed so hard I almost pee my pants. Best Squeal Ever. And the SMEX! HOT!

Narration was great. Paul did a great job with this book to bring out Jory's strength and growth in his personality from Sam leaving him. It totally shows. And the totally ironic scenes, like when the kidnappers get car jacked... OMG! If Paul didn't narrate that right... that scene would have bombed... but Paul did it sooo great.. and I really felt like Jory was a real person talking to me. I LOVED IT! AMAZING>!!!

What was WITH the bizarre faux-Texas accent Mr. Morey gave Dane?! I'm sorry to say, it was AWFUL. Seriously, distractingly awful. I've listened to a good portion of the other books in this series, and though I know each reader gives their own spin, none of the other titles/readers even hint at a drawl for Dane. Struck me as being very out of character - a Good Ol' Boy Dane is not. Unless there's a detail I'm not remembering from when I initially read the books?

I was really tired of hearing how hot and sexy Jory was and how EVERY guy wanted him in his bed. It got really old fast. The series was just ok for a gay romance series. My favorite m/m romance series is Cut & Run by Abigail Roux (and another author until I think the 4th book were Abi continues the series.)

Volume 2 is as good as the first volume with the same whit and pathos - the characters are developing nicely and you feel like spending time with old friends. Paul Morey continues to breathe life into the characterisations.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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